


Outside Source

by brunetteandblond



Series: Moving On [16]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff In The End, Gossip, Homophobic Language, POV Outsider, Rumors, normal people looking in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 14:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17003454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brunetteandblond/pseuds/brunetteandblond
Summary: Random people of Purgatory watch Wynonna and Nicole through the years of Waverly and Doc's disappearance in the Garden.





	1. I can only help if you let me... please, let me help you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kiarcheo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiarcheo/gifts).



Watching the Homestead household break apart was difficult to watch from the outside looking in. Randy Nedley offered to help the group of four adults with their search for their missing family, but he could tell that the more they searched, the more it was tearing them apart.

Nicole was like a daughter to him. Seeing her fill up with endless rage was hard for him. All he wanted to do was ease her pain, but she was too goddamn stubborn to let him.

He tried to comfort her. He tried to be the person she could lean on. He tried to get her to work so that her mind wasn’t solely on Waverly’s disappearance. But nothing was working. And it wasn’t like Wynonna was in a state of mind that could assist him to help her. Besides, it didn't even seem like Nicole and Wynonna were speaking to each other anyway.

Telling her that she could no longer be sheriff anymore was the toughest conversation he ever had to have. She rarely focused on her work and she was rude to every person she came across. She no longer gave a shit about anything. Besides finding Waverly.

He thought that she’d get out of this constant enraged state. But as time progressed, the angrier she became. And the complaints about her exceeded a threshold of which he could no longer just ignore the problem and hope for the best.

When he told her, he watched as her eyes darkened. He wasn’t afraid of her (he never would be) but he was afraid of what she could do to herself. Nedley was no idiot. He knew how self-destructive she could be.

“Do you want my badge and gun, too?” Nicole hissed as she gripped her gun.

He sighed and shook his head and had to explain that he still wanted her to work there, but not as soheriff.

He offered her help, but she stormed out and didn’t come back until days later.

The rumor was that she spent days binge drinking at Pussy Willow’s. He thought that it must have been a mistake. That they were confusing her for Wynonna. But then he ran into Robin Jett, who explained to him that he and his boyfriend had to drag Nicole back home from the bar.

When Nedley heard that Wynonna Earp was in the hospital, he guessed that it was because of a demon or bar fight. He was surprised to find out it was because she had fallen asleep in the woods and had gotten hypothermia. He heard from other townies that you couldn’t find her anywhere else. That the brunette practically lived in the trees now.

The town was convinced that Waverly and Doc had run away together. It was a disgusting rumor that he hoped wouldn’t get to Wynonna or Nicole, but he knew that was wishful thinking.

He was sure that things weren’t going to get better.


	2. I'm still a bad bitch but I love you

Mercedes stayed away from her best friend, Wynonna Earp, when Waverly and Doc went missing. She didn’t like to be around people who grieved. She never knew what to say. If the brunette wanted a drinking buddy, Mercedes would be right there. But she wasn’t willing to reach out and help. Not that she thought she could even do anything.

She heard all the rumors. She knew that Waverly and Doc didn’t run away together. She knew the town knew it too, but it was the simplest explanation for something they couldn’t even fathom. So they decided to believe it. She heard about Nicole’s alcoholism and Wynonna’s obsession with the woods. She didn’t know how much was real, but she had hoped that none of it was.

Since she didn’t have many friends left in Purgatory, she was surprised to find someone knocking on her door a year after the two people had gone missing. She opened the door to find Wynonna. Holding a baby. With a smile on her face.

Mercedes was speechless but happy for her friend. They rarely talked about anything serious, but she knew that Alice was the most important thing to her. And that losing her nearly killed her.

The redhead tried to think of something sassy to say at the moment, but all she could say was, “Come in, bitch.”

Wynonna grinned widely and followed her into the large house which was recently redecorated. It no longer even felt like the house with all the memories Wynonna wished she could erase.

“Her name’s Alice,” the mother exclaimed as she sat down next to her oldest friend. “I don’t remember if I told you that or not.”

Mercedes stared at the squirming kid who was playing with her mom’s necklace. “She’s hella cute, Wyn. Almost makes me want to have a kid. But then I remember what it does to the figure and--”

“Hey!” Wynonna interrupted, pretending to be offended.

“Not to you though,” Mercedes told her sincerely with a nervous chuckle. “You rock the MILF vibes.”

“Thanks, babe,” the brunette told her with a wink.

Mercedes let out a soft laugh. The banter between them almost made it seem like nothing had changed.

“So how are you doing?”

“I’m tired,” Wynonna confessed simply. “She likes to keep me up at night. But I forgive her because she’s adorable. And Haught helps out a lot of the time.”

The redhead raised her eyebrows and muttered, “So I’m guessing that means she isn’t constantly wasted anymore?”

“She’s been sober for a few weeks,” The ex-Heir told her. “She’s doing a lot better. I’m doing a lot better. Wow, that sounds weird out loud. Never thought I’d ever say it.”

“I’m glad,” Mercedes replied honestly. “I’ve missed you.”

Wynonna smiled at her friend and said, “I missed you, too. And Mercedes?”

“Yeah?”

“I kinda love you, too.”


	3. times have changed, haven't they?

Chrissy Nedley was almost positive the rumors were wrong. Not only was her old friend super in love with Nicole Haught, but she was also sure that Doc Holliday wasn’t her ex-best friend’s type. Besides, Waverly wasn’t the type of girl to just leave everyone behind. Especially not her sister. 

Her relationship with her father wasn’t the best. But from what little information he told her about Waverly, she was sure that it wasn’t the girl’s choice to leave. And with all the supernatural shit in the town, she was sure that something else must have been at play.

After a year had passed, she realized how unlikely it would be for her old friend to still be alive. She even considered talking to Wynonna to tell her that she was sorry for her loss. But truthfully, she was scared of her friend’s older sibling. Not only was she as tough as nails, if the rumors were true, she was also crazy if she spent all of her time in the woods.

But then the rumors changed. Gossip ran through the down faster than the flu. When she heard that Wynonna Earp brought home her daughter, she could hardly believe it. But then, she saw the woman and kid for herself.

The brunette was holding her daughter as she and Haught pointed out landmarks to the young child. The three of them were smiling. A sight Chrissy never thought she’d see again.

The three of them looked like a family. A happy, healthy family people could only dream of. And yet, the rumors put the situation in a darker light. The town had always been sexist. Chrissy wasn’t surprised when she heard people say that Wynonna shouldn’t be raising a child without a man.

She physically cringed when someone mentioned that a person with previous mental health problems shouldn’t be a parent. As a person with PTS, Chrissy almost yelled at the group of old ladies standing in front of her in the line at the grocery store. But she stopped herself. She didn't want to be ostracized by the town. 

She almost tore off the head of a man who said that two women (one who was crazy and one who had authority over them) couldn’t raise a child. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

The only rumor she had trouble proving or disproving was the one that started to spread two years after Alice had come to town. She had heard that Wynonna and Nicole were an actual couple. Two years previously, she would have laughed and shrugged it off. But now, she wasn’t so sure.

It wasn’t like the two women kissed, hugged, or even held hands in public. But there was a closeness between the two of them that was unexplainable. A love that was indescribable. But personally, she didn’t care whether they were together or not. They seemed happy. And after all that had happened to the two of them, that was all that mattered.


	4. Ignorance

“Dolores! Stop that! I can see you cheating!” Agatha yelled at her friend when she saw her sneak a card into her pocket.

Priscilla laughed with a croak and commented, “Dolores will stop cheating the day she is dead.”

All four women nodded in agreement.

“Betsy, did you hear about the Earp girl and her wife teaching their poor daughter witchcraft?” Dolores asked her friend with a devious twinkle in her eyes.

Betsy gasped and said, “That poor girl. Being an Earp is hard enough. But having _Wynonna_ Earp as your mother… tut tut.”

Agatha rolled her eyes and muttered, “those women aren’t married. And the idea that they are teaching their daughter witchcraft is just preposterous.” The three other women ignored her.

“I remember when Michelle Gibson brought that girl home. She was always a weird looking girl. Especially compared to that older girl. What was her name again?”

“Willa,” Priscilla answered and shook her head like she was disgusted. “Wynonna probably killed her as well. Ward may have had his problems…”

“But he was a good man,” Betsy finished with a declaration. “He at least tried to keep those daughters of his in check. I at least thought Waverly was going to turn out right.”

Dolores grimaced and replied, “But then Sheriff Haught had to come to town and turn her gay! I’m not surprised Waverly ran off with that man. She must have felt overwhelmed having to be gay.”

“It must run in the family,” Betsy added solemnly. “That Nicole women must really like turning those Earp girls. It’s an abomination.”

“They are going to force that young girl to be lesbian!” Dolores shouted angrily. “I’m glad I’ll be dead before then. This world is going mad, I’m telling you. And I’m not homophobic…”

“But there are just too many of those gays!” Betsy finished for her, causing all of them to nod wildly.


	5. Not an 'Earp!'

When Mariah Bates saw the last name ‘Earp’ on her kindergarten class list, she groaned. She had heard nothing but good things about the young girl, but she couldn’t help but be intimidated of her parents.

Nicole Haught, tough sheriff, and Wynonna Earp, ex-criminal and now deputy. She wasn’t the kind of person to believe in all the gossip around town, but she couldn’t help but wonder if some of the things that were said were true.

The two women had a reputation for being really good at their job. Which meant that they pushed for justice, but they were also empathetic. They had gained respect from most of the town. Especially those that they helped. But there were still a few that were reluctant to believe that the women were good cops or parents.

Those people were mostly old or extremely traditional. The type of people that wouldn’t accept any parentage if it wasn’t in a heterosexual, white, Christian household. And Wynonna Earp and Nicole Haught definitely didn’t fit that image.

Rumor had it they were a couple. No one could confirm it or deny it. She heard that the two of them tried to explain that they were friends for a few years, but they hadn’t said anything about it since. Mariah couldn’t understand why they would keep their relationship a secret. Everyone thought they were a couple anyway.

It just sounded so complicated. And she really didn’t want to deal with it. She knew like everyone else that she dealt with the parents just as much as the students. As the years progressed, the more parents wanted to invest in their child’s education. And they definitely had their opinions. And honestly, Mariah was afraid of Alice Earp’s parents’ opinions.

But alas, there was nothing she could do.

Surprisingly, during Meet the Teacher night, Wynonna and Nicole seemed like _normal_ parents. They actually listened to Mariah, they tried to help diffuse a situation between parents, and stayed after to help her clean things up. Mariah felt guilty afterward for being so worried. It was parents like them that she genuinely liked to interact with.

And Alice was a delight in class as well. Mariah couldn’t help but ask the girl about her situation at home. She was glad to see that the young girl was proud and unapologetic about her mom and dad (and her uncles and Gus, of course).

Sure, it was still confusing. Mariah couldn’t tell if Alice’s parents were actually a couple. But she was sure that they were a perfect team, strong and united parents that did all they could for their kid. Mariah knew that they weren’t exactly conventional, but that they worked. And in the end, that was all that mattered.


	6. you don't know me, but I worship you both

As someone who somewhat shipped Wynonna Earp and Nicole Haught, Maggie Walaski wasn’t too thrilled when Waverly Earp, Doc Holliday, and Dolls (that guy was still alive?) came back home. Not that she didn’t like any of them, she was just worried that they would break up her favorite couple.

Maggie followed the gossip about the two of them almost obsessively for years (ever since she was eleven). She rooted for them, prayed for them, and hoped for the best. Her friends thought it was kind of weird. But they started to understand when she came out her Junior year. Nicole was one of the only people out in Purgatory and Maggie adored her. Not that any of them knew that she existed.

“She’s going to ruin everything,” She muttered under her breath as she and her friend walked past the sheriff and Waverly Earp on the way home from school.

“Jesus Christ, Mags, are you still on that? It was never confirmed that Wynonna and Nicole were a couple anyway,” Danni pointed out, slightly irritated that her crush’s attention was on a couple that wasn’t them.

Maggie glared at her friend. “But they’ve been close for years.”

“Friends can be close, Maggie.”

She sighed, knowing that her friend was right. But for six years, she rooted for both of them. It was hard to let go of that. Even if Waverly Earp was back home.

“Besides, Waverly Earp is legendary,” Danni stated. “She left that god awful turd Champ for Nicole Haught. Serious upgrade. My older sister said that they were the cutest couple ever. Why can’t you root for _them_ now?”

“Wynonna deserves happiness, too,” Maggie whispered awkwardly.

Danni rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air. “What if Wynonna doesn’t even like her? Because Maggie, you're not the greatest at picking up romantic feelings.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Maggie asked, stopping abruptly on the sidewalk.

“I’ve been flirting with you for months and all you can talk about is this fake couple that you have made up in your head. Look at them, Maggie. They’re kissing. They're happy. You still have a gay relationship you can watch and try to live through. But why not live through your own?”

Maggie gulped, took a deep breath, and pressed her lips against the girl she thought was so out of her league.

They only parted once they heard applause and whistles. They turned around to find Nicole and Waverly cheering for them. Okay, maybe now Maggie shipped it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please review if you can! If you liked this, go read my other one-shots. They're pretty cool.
> 
> Ooh, and if you have any other comments or if you have any suggestions/requests, you can message me in tumblr @haught-n-cold-gay
> 
> I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
